Events

About the Monthly Ratings Tournament

The monthly ratings tournament is usually on the first Sunday of the month.  Registration is from 12:15 – 12:45, and games begin at 1:00 p.m.  There are three rounds, and we usually finish between 6:00 -7:00 p.m.  There is no special  fee for the tournament, but players must be members of the American Go Association ($30/yr. for adults, $10/yr. for youth)  You can register on-line by following this link:  AGA

Tournament players must also pay their usual attendance fee, or be voting members of the Go Center (lifetime, yearly, and quarterly members).  More info on membership is here: Members

The ratings tournaments are a great opportunity to play some serious Go in a serene setting.  Whether you want to improve your AGA rating, or just want to immerse yourself in a good game, the ratings tournaments are for you.

Monday Class: Beginner to 10 Kyu

The Monday Night class is for beginning players up to 10-kyu. It will run from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., and it is free. If you have just started playing go, and you do not know what a kyu player is, this class is for you. If you are much more experienced, but want to work on your fundamental skills, this class is also for you.  The class will be taught by Dr. Nick Sibicky, 4d. Students who do well in this class will be ready for the Wednesday Night class with Jon Boley 5d, which is more advanced.

Every Monday Class lecture will introduce a new joseki (opening pattern), look at several tesuji (tactics), and review key concepts in go. Students will also have opportunities to play games during sessions to practice what they learn. There will be a focus on students learning how to “feel their stones” and understanding a go game as a conversation. Students who scale more towards the beginner side of the double-digit-kyu spectrum are encouraged to acquire Janice Kim’s “Learn to Play Go” books for reviewing core concepts.  We also offer one to one instruction in an informal setting on Tuesdays, from 3-9 p.m.

Nick Sibicky is among the 250 highest rated go players in the U.S. He has attended 3 US Go Congresses and has won a number of tournaments including The Wildflower Classic (Austin, TX), Sakura-Con 2010, and multiple Seattle Go Center Ratings Tournaments. He has had teaching games with professionals including Kim Myung-Wan 9p, Guo Juan 5p, Lee Hajin 3p, Janice Kim 3p, Huiren Yang 1p, and Cathy Li 1p. In 2010, Nick competed in the invitational North American Ing Masters Tournament alongside 31 other of North America’s top professionals and amateurs. In addition to his passion for go, Nick has a passion for teaching and learning. Since moving to Seattle 3 years ago, he has completed his PhD in Music, and attained a tenured faculty position at Edmonds Community College where his students have described his lectures as both “brilliant” and “hilarious.”

The class is free because teaching beginners is important to the Seattle Go Center. Regular attendance in the class in encouraged but not required. If you are planning to attend, please contact the Go Center at 206 545-1424 or by email at: class.

Youth Classes on Sunday Mornings

On Sunday mornings we offer two classes for Go players under 18.   Beginners will study from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. and Intermediates from 10:00 – 12:00.  The instructor will be Jon Boley 6d. This class is open to players of all strengths  who can focus for 2 hours, with a small break in the middle.  Each class costs $15.  This is a great opportunity to learn from a skilled teacher who is also a strong player.

Session I, 9:00 – 11:00,  is the group for kids that have never played before or are in need of developing the core ideas that make a strong Go player. Focus will be on capturing, liberties, ladders, nets, territory and, finally, ending games. Like the higher group, there will be home work – just a lot easier ;-)

Session II, 10:00 – 12:00, focuses on opening, middle game, and end game analysis. Most games in this class are on 13×13 but we will be setting up a way for the students to play each other on the 19×19 using one of the Go Servers. September and October we will focus on the 4×4 point Josekis. This class includes take home problem sets.

For more information, please contact the Go Center at (206) 545-1424 or by email to: info